Rent-A-Cop

My brother got the call this afternoon that he is officially a rent-a-cop. I use this term loosely since he will be doing all of the work for free. He's going to be working as a reserve deputy for the local county sheriff. It's considered an internship, and yet he will do everything that a regular sheriff's deputy does, only without pay. Additionally, he has to pay tuition to his college for the 3 credit hours and has to come up with the money to outfit himself with the uniforms, the handcuffs, the safety gear, and even the gun. Grand total of the operation will is over $1500. Somehow I think the county is coming out ahead in this game.

I think my parents are a bit terrified after coming to the realization that he's actually doing this. He's been majoring in criminal justice for 3 years and will hopefully enter into the police corp next summer, but up to this point it was all just talk. The fact that he now will be patrolling the streets and even carrying a gun is a bit unnerving. Though judging from my past work experience with local law enforcement, he may actually be an improvement over some of them.